1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to application of fluidized coatings to rather large areas on surfaces which are usually stationary, typically walls and ceilings of structures. It relates more particularly to a system of maintaining a supply of the coating material to an applicator device constantly, as needed, while the applicator device is in use.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art in painting apparatus is extensive. Dispensers include brushes, pads, rollers, air pressurized sprayers, airless sprayers, and electrostatic dispensers. Perhaps there are others. The various types have advantages and disadvantages. Those of main interest with reference to the present application are those involving contact-type applicators, and especially rollers, brushes and pads. Of the prior art in this area, perhaps the most pertinent is that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,457,017 issued July 22, 1969 to James W. Bastian. It discloses a system in which a peristaltic pump, possibly of the type disclosed in his earlier U.S. Pat. No. 3,353,491, is coupled to a roller or pad-type applicator. A motor control switch is mounted on the applicator handle to control the motor for supply of paint from a reservoir to the roller or pad, as needed.
In addition to the prior art cited in the Bastian patent, some additional prior art pertinent to the subject of the present invention, involves internally fed rollers as shown in U.S. patents as follows:
______________________________________ 2,743,469 Ditch May 1, 1956 2,882,541 Easley April 21, 1959 3,231,151 Clark et al. January 25, 1966 3,933,415 Woolpert January 20, 1976 ______________________________________
In these patents, the Ditch patent discloses a paint roller internally supplied through the handle tube and having a handle-mounted spring-loaded push button valve 8. O-rings 16 mounted in the hubs 15 seal the hubs to the tube. The hose 5 at the lower end of the handle is intended for connection to a source of supply of paint under pressure.
The Easley patent also discloses a paint roller supplied through the roller mounting tube and through radially extending apertures in a wood, non-absorbent roller core. The paint is supplied to a roller cover made of wool or other material, and the roller mounting tube is connected to a pressurized paint source. O-ring 23 in bearing sleeve 19 prevents leakage of paint outward between the bearings and tube.
The Clark et al. patent discloses the use of a non-absorbent sleeve 74 mounted to the handle and serving as a space occupying member radially distributing paint from the conduit 71 from the handle cylinder 10. In column 4, at lines 39 and following, there is disclosed the concept of limiting the amount of paint inside the roller core to avoid drippage problems. In this instance, pressurization is accomplished by a pressure cylinder which is an integral part of the handle assembly.
In the Woolpert patent, there are roller-type paint applicators in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9, the latter figure showing an edger in contrast to the cylindrical rollers of FIGS. 7 and 8. In FIG. 8, there is shown a sponge roller 114 with a fitted fabric sleeve cover 130, all of which is mounted over a foraminous tube 110. The pressurized paint supply is a diaphragm-type pressurized tank. Faucet water pressure is used to pressurize the paint in the tank. For the FIG. 7 version, a thumb operable button 106 is mounted on the handle to control paint flow. Two valves, 32 and 38, are included for the other embodiments.
Although the above-mentioned Bastian patent does not show a wheeled carriage to enhance portability of the paint reservoir and pump while operating, U.S. Pat. No. 3,230,570 issued Jan. 25, 1966 to Flippen and cited in the Bastian patent, discloses a wheeled carriage including a paint container, a peristaltic pump, and a roller assembly for painting floors, parking lots, driveways, or the like. The Russell and Fisher patents, cited as references in the Flippen patent, also disclose wheeled carriages supporting paint containers (the Russell container being pressurized) and supplying paint to a paint striping brush in the case of Russell, and two discs in the Fisher patent for wet lime marking of athletic fields and the like. While these particular references disclose the use of wheeled carriages for ground marking machines, a fairly recent U.S. Pat. No. 4,072,429, issued Feb. 7, 1978 to Terzian et al. discloses a wheeled carriage having a built-in peristaltic pump for supplying paint from a can through a hose to a wall-painting roller handle. A well is provided in the carriage to receive a paint can from which the intake tube to the pump draws paint. A storage well 124 is provided in the housing for storage of the paint intake tube 44 and the paint delivery tube 56 after use. A bracket 36 is provided on the carriage for hanging the paint roller thereon. A storage compartment 60 in the bottom of the housing is provided on the carriage for storage of the electric cord for the pump motor.
In addition to the above-mentioned prior art, some additional prior art specifically related to internally fed rollers, include the following:
______________________________________ 860,078 Binks July 16, 1907 2,606,334 Vaden et al. August 12, 1952 2,965,911 Hempel et al. December 27, 1960 3,134,130 Chadwick II May 26, 1964 3,539,268 Stebbins November 10, 1970 3,549,267 Wurzer et al. December 22, 1970 3,554,659 Stokes January 12, 1971 3,776,645 Walker December 4, 1973 3,826,581 Henderson July 30, 1974 3,877,823 Leland April 15, 1975 Re.29,311 Ritter July 19, 1977 ______________________________________
In the above patents, Binks provides a supply of paint to, and surplus removal from, the interior of a roller (FIG. 1), a pad (FIG. 3), and a brush (FIG. 5). Vaden discloses a plastic roller body with a sheepskin cover and an end clamp securing the cover to the roller. It has a delivery control valve push button 16 on the handle.
Hempel et al. discloses a polyurethane stationary wiper core in a self-contained inking roller. Chadwick shows a belt-type roller.
The Stebbins patent discloses a roller having a paint supply tube with an aperture centered longitudinally of the roller. The roller also has annular chambers 50 and 52 within a perforated rigid sleeve or cardboard tube 28 to which the fibers 32 are affixed.
Wurzer et al. discloses an automatically controlled roller coater intended to control flow in response to the rotational speed of the roller. Stokes shows one or two internally fed rollers mounted to paint supply spindles.
Walker shows roller-type applicators in FIGS. 5, 6, 9, 10 and 11, and also various types of pad applicators including pointed pads. Henderson discloses a roller having a plurality of radial ports longitudinally spaced and circumferentially spaced on the cover base 21 to supply the pile 20 of the roller. A rotatable handle is intended to use a cable 36 to control paint flow at the roller.
The Leland patent is one example of a fountain-type paint roller with a supply of paint carried in the roller itself. It is an interchangeable cartridge for a roller handle unit.
The Ritter patent is another example of a roller incorporating a hollow cylinder applicator at the periphery to supply paint to the pile of the roller.